Martin Courtney takes a walk down memory lane on the latest edition of Free at Noon

A love letter to the band that has shaped his life for the last decade, Martin Courtney, the frontperson of Real Estate, gave an intimate performance from his home studio earlier this month for WXPN’s Free at Noon. A trip down memory lane, his setlist included 2 songs from the band’s latest ep, Half a Human, and one track from the past 5 Real Estate records. 

Working backward, he started things off with “Ribbon” and “Half A Human.” With soft strumming and syrupy lyrics, the tracks shined with a subtle optimism. The gentle repetition of “this vessel sustains me/but it can not contain me” had a soothing mantra-like effect. Switching gears, “Silent World” felt like an eerie prediction of our current reality. Released a month before the onset of the pandemic, the long walks and defeating quiet he described were almost identical to the early days of lockdown. 

A classic Real Estate track, “Darling,” got an acoustic make-over but still maintained its jangle-pop charm. Even “The Bend,” which lacked the lead guitar part it was named for still came across as lithe and illuminating. Rounding out the set with “It’s Real” and “Suburban Dogs,” the set encapsulated his whole career. Full of nostalgia, Courtney seems distant, stuck dreaming about what was going on ten years ago when the song first came out. 

You can check out the full setlist and Courtney’s performance below.

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Setlist
Ribbon
Half A Human
Silent World
Darling
The Bend
It’s Real
Suburban Dogs